Better defender in their prime?
Close call but I'll say Ferdinand just edges it.
Close call but I'll say Ferdinand just edges it.
Prime Ferdinand or Prime Varane
- Thread starter tentan
- Start date
We haven't seen prime Varane yet 
Rio is well clear.
Edges it? Ferdinand was imperious.
Ferdinand.
I don't think he ever reached the levels rio got to at his peak circa 2008.
Where that Madrid team blew us out of the park was in their midfield department which was far superior to whatever we had in 2008.
I don't think he ever reached the levels rio got to at his peak circa 2008.
Where that Madrid team blew us out of the park was in their midfield department which was far superior to whatever we had in 2008.
Rio
Martinez
Lindelof
Rio
Maguire
Rio for me
Rio very clearly
Rio.
Its Rio. Even if we say they are similar at defending, Rio is clear in ability on the ball and passing. As good as Varane is, for the most part he's always been in good back fours and has rarely had to lead average defences. Rio's value in 2003/04 couldn't be clearer, he got banned and our defence turned into a shitshow without him.
Rio in 2008 is up there with the best seasons ever for a CB in the last 30 years.
Rio in 2008 is up there with the best seasons ever for a CB in the last 30 years.
Ferdinand, by a mile. Not even close.
It’s quite easily Ferdinand.
Rio was so good he went on runs of 50 plus games without giving away a foul never mind a yellow card.
The perfect defender for me
The perfect defender for me
As others have said Rio easily. Both great defenders, Rio was also much better on the ball.
VVD, he went one season without ever being dribbled
The disrespect to Rio, good grief.
Varane is a wonderful player but has he actually ever been the best CB in any side he's been in?
Ramos was better at Madrid
Umtiti was better when France won the WC in 2018
Lisandro is better now I'd say
Think part of it is Varane has always been poor to mediocre with the ball at his feet, which limits his ceiling in a way that never applied to Rio.
Varane is a wonderful player but has he actually ever been the best CB in any side he's been in?
Ramos was better at Madrid
Umtiti was better when France won the WC in 2018
Lisandro is better now I'd say
Think part of it is Varane has always been poor to mediocre with the ball at his feet, which limits his ceiling in a way that never applied to Rio.
The correct answer, I can’t believe I had to scroll this far for it.
Rio by a mile
Peak Varane might be better at the air and a little bit quicker(?) (both were incredibly fast) but I think Ferdinand is better at everything else. Comfortably better at passing. Varane is very adept on either foot but his passing is nowhere near as creative or line breaking as Rio’s was.
Rio by some distance for me
Yes he was better than Ramos and you could even argue Martinez too. Ramos was a great player but not a great CB.
what on earthI’ve been Varane’s fanboy since his debut for Madrid but it’s Rio for me and I didn’t even hesitate.
Rio was that special. You can find players with comparable longevity (Terry) or peak (van Dijk/Stam), but overall he’s the best PL had to offer and I’d only take Nesta ahead of him when we talk about the entire XXI century.
Rio was that special. You can find players with comparable longevity (Terry) or peak (van Dijk/Stam), but overall he’s the best PL had to offer and I’d only take Nesta ahead of him when we talk about the entire XXI century.
Rio is the best defender to grace the Premier League, not even close!
Rio, easily. He is the PL's best ever defender. Varane perhaps should have been that good based on early promise but he never quite got there. Still bloody good, mind you.
Wot. no expected tackles, expected blocks, expected headers and such like to tell us?
funny reading this after 15 years of reading Ramos is rash and overrated and carried by better CBs Varane and Pepe
There are a lot of bad opinions on the internet!
Yeah it’s Rio for me he was just so good. Ridiculous player. Varane is the closest I’ve seen to Rio at united since.
Easy call, it's Rio. Varane never reached this level of domination on the pitch, Rio was something else at his peak. Varane never come close to this "I have this one under control guys" impression Rio gave.
Rio.
I'm not sure it's a close call. It's Rio
Ramos with the all time red card record in La Liga is rightfully called rash.
I love Varane but I think Martinez is our best defender. We are lucky to have both. Rio for me.
Ferdinand by miles, some people seem go remember vidic as the better of the pair, but vidic was a John Terry type, not an insult to either of them, fantastic defenders in the air and slide tackling, but rio barely needed to slide tackle, he could anticipate so well, he was like a throwback to some Italian centre back, England has never really produced another player like him imo
Ferdinand once went 28 games without conceding a single foul. I think his peak is higher than Varane.
You can definitely make arguments for Varane though. He was world class from an earlier age, Ferdinand was still making stupid mistakes that he only really cut out around 2007.
If Varane plays for United 4-5 more years and wins a champion's league and some league titles, he will surpass Rio.
You can definitely make arguments for Varane though. He was world class from an earlier age, Ferdinand was still making stupid mistakes that he only really cut out around 2007.
If Varane plays for United 4-5 more years and wins a champion's league and some league titles, he will surpass Rio.